


Bitten

by ewanjefferymurdock



Category: Naruto
Genre: Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:29:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27131164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ewanjefferymurdock/pseuds/ewanjefferymurdock
Summary: Naruto is subjected to an ancient and forgotten power while on a mission, and it begins to change him. As new strengths, weaknesses, and urges begin to consume his entire being, can he avoid losing himself amongst the chaos? Can he keep from hurting those closest to him?
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"Naruto, Sai! Over here! I think I found something!" Sakura stood beneath the mossy entranceway of a damp cave, a flashlight in hand probing ahead. The stone was old and wet, a dark cobble common in valleys such as the one they found themselves in. She'd hoped they'd find what they were looking for early in the day, but the sun was already setting on the marshland.

Team Seven had been tasked with investigating rumors of a cult forming in the Land of Woods, reportedly searching for something dangerous in the southern Fire peninsula. They'd spent nearly a week tracking a sect of the fanatics in the dense forests south of the Hidden Leaf Village, and the trail had almost run cold before a small band attempted to trap them the night before. They found a map on one of them leading to the isolated swamp surrounding this cave.

Naruto approached his pink-haired teammate, Sai hot on his heels. "Woah," the jinchūriki said with a whistle, "what a dump."

Sai pushed aside a vine, taking the lead. "This place has been untouched for a long time. A century at least, judging by the moss."

"Did you notice the swamp?" Sakura asked. "It's in an almost perfect circle about a half mile across, and this cave is at the center of it. It's almost like whatever is being held here has killed the forest."

Naruto let out an audible shiver. "Why does Kakashi-sensei send _us_ to all the creepy places?"

"Oh, stop whining," Sakura scolded. "You've fought in a war, how are you still afraid of the dark?"

The blond genin groaned. "It's not the _dark_ , Sakura! It's the… _spookiness_ of it all! A dying forest, a dank cave, a _secret cult_? Come _on_! I can't be the only one freaked out by that!"

"I have to agree with Naruto," Sai said, his own flashlight sweeping from side-to-side as he led them further into the tunnel. "This situation is certainly unsettling."

'Why are boys such wimps?' she thought, but kept it to herself as to allow the trio to continue in silence. They travelled for what felt like miles, winding further and further down into the depths of the earth.

"Is anyone else getting colder?" Naruto posed to his friends. "I can see my breath, is that normal?"

Sakura exhaled into her palms. "At the end of Spring? Definitely not. Whatever is down here can't fall into the hands of these nutjobs. Be ready for anything."

As if on cue, the tunnel took a left and brought them to two large, wooden doors with ornate carvings covering them in their entirety. Two iron handles met in the middle, attached by a golden rope tied to the bottom of each one. Naruto let out a whistle, placing his hands on his hips as he approached the doors.

"Nice doors. Wonder what they're hiding."

"Naruto, wait!" Sakura yelled as her brash teammate reached for the handles, but it was too late. He grasped both iron handles in his palms, and immediately a red lightning cracked from the screws holding the pieces in place. It built for an instant, then struck Naruto directly in his chest, throwing him backward. He collided with the cave wall, cratering it and sending rumbles throughout the underground structure.

"Naruto!" The skilled kunoichi rushed to her friend's side, pushing a healing palm to his chest where he was struck, the other hand combing his hair for any injuries to his head. "You idiot! What kind of ninja just grabs at creepy doors like that?! I thought you were freaked out!"

The blue-eyed warrior groaned, his own hand rubbing his stinging scalp. "Damn, what the hell was that?" He winced and groaned once again as Sai's flashlight knocked on the top of his skull.

"Sakura is right, that was foolish. You could've been killed."

Both of Naruto's hands now clutched the spot where he was just struck. " _Damnit_ , Sai! Come on, I'm _sorry_ , ok?! I got ahead of myself!"

Sakura's hands ceased glowing. "Well reign it in! You're lucky, you aren't seriously injured. Can you stand?"

The young man gave his usual foxy grin, beaming at his childhood comrade. "Of course! Thank you, Sakura, you're amazing!" He stood, his closed-eyed smile hiding Sakura's blush from him. "Alright, how do we get through this bad boy?"

"Allow me to try," Sai said calmly, removing a scroll from his utility pouch. He placed it on the ground and closed his eyes. " _Hn_." The scroll exploded in a cloud of smoke, which then dissipated to reveal that it had expanded in size a hundred fold. Unrolling it, he removed his brush, quickly drawing a giant leech of some kind.

_Ram_

" **Sealing Jutsu: Burning Slug Trap**." The drawn creature began to wriggle, sliding off the parchment and toward the doorway. It stopped just short and leaned its head back, then spit black ink onto the golden thread binding the doors. The ink began to sizzle and steam, spreading as it engulfed the rope. After a few moments, it seemed to melt away, and the sludgy substance fell to the cave floor. The slug crawled forward and absorbed the ink into its body, then made its way back to the scroll, disappearing into the paper. Sai rolled it back up and transformed it once again, returning it to his pouch.

"It should be safe to open now," he said in his usual monotone, his practiced smile on display.

"Woah, nice job, Sai!" Naruto congratulated, making his way back to the doors. Hesitating for only a moment, the orange-clad ninja steadied himself and took hold once more of the iron handles. When no lightning discouraged him, he heaved on the heavy doors, parting them to reveal a dark, circular room about twenty feet in diameter. The walls were decorated with candles, all lit.

At the opposite end of the entrance stood a large, stone coffin.

"What the… hell?" Naruto took his first steps into the room, and the temperature drastically fell. He wrapped his arms around himself, shivering. "H-holy c-c-crap, it's s-s-so cold!" His teammates followed shortly after, both having similar reactions.

"This cold is unbelievable," Sakura said, "almost unnatural. It must be far below zero."

"And these candles," Sai added, his ability to hide his discomfort far superior to that of his team, "how are they lit? No one has stepped foot in this room for decades, if not more. This shouldn't be possible."

Naruto grimaced, his eyes settling on the centerpiece of the room. "Whatever's going on here, whatever those cultist weirdos are trying to do, it's got something to do with _that_."

"What should we do?" Sakura asked, readying herself behind her teammate.

Naruto's smile returned. "Whaddaya think?" Before his compatriots could protest, the whiskered demon container took one large stride towards the coffin, grabbed the side of the lid hard enough to crack it, and pried it from the box, throwing it to the side in one swift motion as it hit the wall and split in two. A gust of icy wind followed the removal of the lid, extinguishing every candle and plunging them into darkness. Sai and Sakura quickly relit their torches.

"You _moron_!" Sakura hissed through clenched teeth, a handful of golden locks already in her clutches. "What the hell were you _thinking_? I'll tell you, you weren't thinking at all! We _just_ talked about this, what if that creepy thing was a trap just like the door, _huh_? Did you consider that, you absolute tool?!"

The venerable medical ninja's tyrade - along with her physical assault - had very little effect on the bold Uzumaki, as his focus was elsewhere. Since unsealing the coffin, his gaze hadn't left what lay inside.

It was a woman.

She was tall, easily an inch or two taller than Naruto, and she had dark skin that seemed to reflect a moon they couldn't see. Her hair was kinky and cascading, tied into a tight ponytail that fell over her left shoulder. She wore a flowing red dress made of some valuable fabric, and shoes of the same color and status. Her arms were crossed over her chest, revealing nails almost three inches long and razor sharp, painted white - the same color as her lipstick.

She was the most beautiful person Naruto had ever laid his cerulean eyes on.

"H-" he began, his thoughts catching his throat as if they were trying to choke the life from him, "holy shit."

Sakura and Sai had both turned their attention to the coffin's occupant amidst Naruto's amazement. "What the hell is going on?" Sakura asked. "Is she alive?"

Naruto approached her carefully, attempting to keep his wits about him, but this captivating creature was not making it easy for him. As he got closer, he realized she smelled of honeydew, as if she'd shampooed this morning. The smell, he gathered, was dulling his senses, because by the time he'd fully closed the distance between himself and the bewitching beauty, he'd completely forgotten why he'd started towards her in the first place.

"Naruto, are you ok?" Sakura asked, an eyebrow raised at her longtime friend. "Is she alive or not? You haven't checked."

Naruto shook his head, blinking rapidly. "R-right, my bad."

"I can't imagine anyone living down here," Sai chimed in, inspecting the inside of the coffin around the woman from a distance, "this place has obviously remained untouched for many years."

Naruto lifted his right hand slowly and placed his middle and forefingers against the woman's neck. He waited for almost a minute, his eyes closed in concentration as he held himself still.

No pulse.

"She's definitely dead," he said, his eyes still shut. He was finding it difficult to pull himself from the deceased woman's aura.

Sakura walked to his side, placing a hand on her hip. "I wonder how she died, or how she's remained in such good condition."

"It's likely the cold," Sai answered as he pulled a scroll from his pouch. "I'll send a message to Lord Sixth. He'll be very interested in this development."

Naruto had finally opened his eyes, but he felt like he was in a trance. He had yet to remove his fingers from her neck. "She's so cold."

"Well duh," Sakura chided, "this place is like a fridge."

"No, it's more than that," he said seriously. "Her skin… it's like ice, but it's still soft and smooth, not rigid like a corpse would be in a tomb like this."

"Why are you feeling her up, ya perv?!" Sakura yelled, startling Sai, but it still wasn't enough to shake Naruto from his mental entrapment. His gaze followed the lines of her face, noting the thickness of her eyelashes and the fullness of her brows. Her lips were plump and lively, and her chin was lightly dimpled. His eyes found hers once again, enamored by the color of her lashes in contrast to her skin. Her hair was a deep, all-consuming black, it was nearly impossible to divine the strands without focusing intently. Her face was like a gem he was observing for any sign of a flaw, unable to find any and increasingly enchanted the longer he searched.

Until her eyes opened.

Deep brown met bright blue, the two pairs of orbs locked on one another in the dim light of the room, causing a gasp to become trapped in Naruto's throat. There he stood for what felt like ages, his eyes slowly widening more and more as his brain attempted to reconcile with the events playing out before him. The woman smirked, revealing one long fang on the left side of her mouth.

"Wha-" he started, but before the word was ever fully born, it was killed on his tongue as the mystery woman lunged forward, her maw fully widened to show a matching canine on the opposite side, both about an inch and a half in length. Naruto tried to pull back, but the dead woman was far too quick, and she latched onto his exposed neck, puncturing the skin with her razor sharp teeth. He again tried to pull away, but she held tightly to the sides of the coffin with both hands, cracking it beneath her fingers as she held him in place.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled, pulling her arm back in an attempt to strike her friend's attacker, but as her clenched fist was about to make contact, the woman extracted her teeth and disappeared, allowing Sakura to take a large chunk out of her former resting place.

She noticed a stream of blood running down Naruto's chest as he fell to his knees. She caught his head, holding him steady. She turned her head to see the formerly dead woman standing in the entrance way to the room. Sai put himself between them, drawing his tantō.

The woman wiped some of the blood from her chin with a clawed finger, licking it clean. "Thank your boy toy for me for the meal," she said directly to Sakura. "He tastes absolutely delectable." Sai lunged forward to swipe at her, but she burst into a cloud of smoke before his blade could make contact and escaped through the cave. Sai began to chase after her before Sakura stopped him.

"Sai! We have to get Naruto out of here, he's hurt!" She called to him. The Nine-Tails' jinchūriki was wincing, his eyes clamped shut. His left hand clenched the bite, but steam was rising from between his fingers. He tried several times to talk but no words would come. "We have to get him back to the village! I can't help him here!"

"Right," the emotionally stunted teenager said, replacing his tantō and running to Naruto's side. He pulled an arm over his shoulder and hoisted the blond to his feet.

Sakura helped Sai get Naruto onto his back. "We have to hurry, I'm not sure what kind of jutsu he was struck with. I'll need my resources at the hospital if I'm going to save him."

The two jōnin left the room with their teammate and began to work their way back to the surface, hoping they could return home in time to save one of the strongest ninja in the world.

* * *

Naruto's head felt like it was riddled with kunai. He tried and failed to open his eyes, clamping them shut in an attempt to avoid the searing pain the light in the room was causing. He focused, trying to gather an understanding of his surroundings. He could tell by the smell that he was in a hospital room. Not surprising. He was unconscious, so there was obviously a reason. What was the last thing he remembered? Team Seven was walking down a long tunnel, like a cave or something, and they made it to a room. Red lightning… giant slugs… dark brown skin… razor sharp fan-

_The woman_ _!_

The realization pulled Naruto into a seated position as his eyes shot open, an action he instantly regretted.

" _Augh_ , son-of-a- _bitch_!" he shouted, shoving his fists into his eyes. 'Why does it _burn_ so bad? What the hell happened?' He inhaled deeply. 'Chrysanthemums? Sakura's been by.' The thought temporarily numbed the pain as he smiled. The best part of getting hurt was 'get-well-soon chrysanthemums' from Sakura.

His painful reality came rushing back as the door to his room opened.

"Naruto, you're up!" The familiar voice of his aforementioned teammate ricocheted off the drywall and linoleum, piercing his brain and forcing him to press his hands to his ears.

" _Sakura_ ," he groaned meekly, "my _head_." His complaint rewarded him a punch to his golden mane.

"That's what you get, you jackass!" Before he could cry out, the sting in his scalp was soothed by soft arms wrapping around his neck. "Don't you _ever_ worry me like that again."

Her whisper was tear-filled, causing him to completely forget his discomfort as he wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder.

_Ba-bum_

Naruto's eyes snapped open as the sound drowned out every other noise around him.

_Ba-bum_

It was stifling, like the sound your blood makes when you wear earmuffs.

_Ba-bum_

"Do you hear that?" he asked Sakura. She lifted her head and cast confused, tear-stained eyes on him.

"Hear what?"

"That sound, that _thumping_."

_Ba-bum_

"I don't hear anything, Naruto."

_Ba-bum_

"How can you not hear that? It's deafening!"

Sakura pulled away from him, concern replacing confusion. "Naruto, are you ok?"

_Ba-bum_

Naruto looked at her, and he saw it. So small, so faint, but he caught it all the same as if it were plastered on a billboard just outside his window.

The vein in her neck.

Pulsing.

_Ba-bum_

He recoiled, pushing himself against the wall at the head of his hospital bed. Sakura shrank at the sudden action. "Sakura, I-... I'm sorry," he whispered as he relaxed, his eyes still glued to her exposed skin. "I think I'm just tired. Do you mind if I try to sleep a little longer?"

The kunoichi lowered her green eyes. "Oh… alright then. Let me know if you need anything, ok Naruto? We were all worried about you."

He flashed her his famous grin. "Of course. Thank you, Sakura. Really."

She returned a meeker version of his smile, then left him alone. He swung his legs to the side of the bed and placed his feet on the floor, allowing the linoleum to cool his body. After several seconds of controlling his breath, he shakily stood. He began making his way across the room in the direction of the bathroom.

"How long have I been asleep? I feel like I haven't peed in days." He stepped into the stream of sunlight shining through the window when a feeling of fire engulfed his leg and arm. "What the _fuck_!" he screamed, falling to the ground. Suddenly, the sensation enveloped both arms, both legs, and his neck and face, forcing a scream from the depths of his throat. "Goddamnit!"

He rolled violently, trying to extinguish the invisible flames that were eating his flesh. He rolled toward the bathroom in an attempt to reach the sink, but before he got there, the pain lessened drastically. He flattened himself to the floor, trying to ice his skin on the floor. "What… the fuck," he gasped. He pulled his hand to his face, examining light burns covering his smoking skin. "That was horrible."

Naruto shakily pushed himself to his feet, wincing as the tops of his toes grazed the hard surface of the floor. He looked around carefully, trying to find the source of the attack. He began reaching his hands in front of him, searching for a possible invisible barrier that might have harmed him. He swept his arms back-and-forth, to almost no avail, until he found it. A horrid burning sensation on the side of his left hand and pinky.

"Shit!" He nursed the wound, trying to see what it was that struck him. Reaching out even slower than before, he realized he felt the pain again just as the rays of sunlight struck his exposed skin. "Th-... the sun? But why?" He extended his other hand in order to confirm his theory. When the light bleaching his skin was accompanied by a scorching feeling across his knuckle, his expression hardened.

"What the _hell_ is going on?


	2. Dinner With a Friend

Naruto leaned against the wall of an alley just off one of the main streets in the Hidden Leaf Village. He was attempting to make it home unseen so he could start investigating this aversion to the sun he seemed to be having. He'd escaped his hospital room through the window, the blanket from his bed wrapped around him like a cloak to shield himself from the newly harmful rays.

He could still feel their burn through the white fabric, if to a much lesser extent.

He'd managed to avoid being seen so far, and he was only a couple of blocks from his apartment. He tried to make a point of avoiding placing his focus on anyone for fear he'd begin to hear their blood moving in their veins like he did Sakura.

Why had it given him such a rush?

Naruto had always had confusing feelings for his pink-haired teammate. Her joy made him happy, and her pain made him hurt as well, but if he was being honest, that was pretty much the case with anyone he found important to him. He definitely had a crush on her in his youth; whether that was still the case remained to be seen, but one thing was certain.

When he heard her blood pumping, her heart beating, her breath leaving her lungs, he _hungered_ for her.

And not in a pervy way, either. He had to stop himself from taking a bite out of her, like she was the first bowl of hot ramen after a long mission with little food. He felt an overwhelming urge to devour her, and it terrified him, so he asked to be alone.

What the fuck was wrong with him?

Naruto almost turned onto what he thought was an empty connecting street until he heard voices coming toward him. Stumbling to a halt and retracing a few steps, he blended with the shadows in between a dumpster and a stack of boxes just as two people turned the corner: an old woman he didn't recognize, and Tenten, carrying several full grocery bags.

Naruto tried to avert his focus, but the familiarity of his friend's face drew his attention, and suddenly, his senses were kicked into overdrive. It was obvious she'd been training not too long ago, as he could see the sweat dripping down her cheeks from her forehead, which led his gaze to her neck, and the steady pulsing of her carotid artery.

_Ba-dum_

' _Fuck_.'

He could smell the apricot-scented lotion she'd used that morning.

_Ba-dum_

"Thank you so much, dear, I can't imagine how many trips I'd have needed to make if I were carrying these home myself," the old woman hummed to Tenten.

_Ba-dum_

"Oh, it's no trouble at all, ma'am," the weapons expert replied, a genuine smile on her small face. "I'm headed in this direction anyway, I need to meet my team to fill out the report on our last mission."

_Ba-dum_

'Fuck, fuck, _fuck_ ,' Naruto thought to himself. The pair were fully past the alley he was hiding in, but he felt himself emerge and begin to follow them. 'What am I doing, _what am I doing_?'

_Ba-dum_

His left arm extended itself, his fingers outstretched as if he were trying to grasp at Tenten as he followed them from a short distance.

_Ba-dum_

Naruto felt his mouth lolling open like an imbecile but there was nothing he could do. His body was moving on its own.

_Ba-dum_

"Your generation is all so sweet," the elderly woman continued. "Especially you ninja, it's so refreshing to see that the future of our home is in the hands of such a compassionate group."

That praise shook Naruto from his stupor.

_Ba-dum_

'No,' he thought.

_Ba-dum_

' _No_!' he screamed at himself internally, but it wasn't until he felt the sting of his clenched right fist that he finally regained control over himself, returning to the shadows just as Tenten paid a glance over her shoulder to find no one there.

Naruto squatted against a wall, his head leaned back as he panted, trying to regain his breath. It was then that he wondered why clenching his fist hurt so much. Peering down at his hand, his eyes widened at the sight of razor-sharp claws about a centimeter past his fingertips, covered in blood. His palm sported four deep cuts near the wrist.

"What is happening to me?" he shuddered, watching the nails recede to their initial flat nubs. Resigning himself to get to the bottom of his new affliction, he made his way home.

* * *

Naruto slammed the front door to his one-bedroom apartment and leaned against it, throwing the hospital blanket to the floor. He slid downward slowly, his body enjoying the cool sensation of the dark hallway. He sat there for several minutes, attempting to recover from whatever the evening sun had been doing to him for the twenty minutes or so it took for him to get home.

His stomach grumbled.

"Ramen." The lone jōnin pushed himself back to his feet and made his way to the kitchen, retrieving a bowl of instant ramen from a cabinet beside the fridge. He poured water to the fill line and placed it into the microwave for three minutes. While his dinner cooked, he ran from room to room, pulling his curtains tightly shut on each window, turning his apartment into somewhat of a cocoon. He removed the pants and shirt issued to him by the Leaf Hospital - sparing a thought as to who dressed him while he was unconscious - and put on some black sweatpants he used for lounging about the house.

"I'll have to go back eventually, my headband and all my gear is somewhere in the hospital. No idea why they didn't leave it in my room." He was pulled from his solo conversation by the sound of the microwave beeping. "Thank god, I'm starving."

Naruto returned to the kitchen, pulling a pair of chopsticks from a drawer underneath the microwave before grabbing his meal. Sitting down at his table, he added the flavor packet and mixed it in to the noodles, then finally, after what felt like days, took his first bite of ramen in so long.

And stopped.

"Uh," he said around a mouthful of noodles, continuing his slurping very slowly.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

The ramen, his absolute favorite food of all time, tasted like…

Nothing.

Biting off the strand of noodle currently hanging from his lips, he swallowed the bite and deepened his confused expression. Standing, he turned to the fridge and opened it, grabbing an apple from the vegetable drawer. He looked at it for a moment inquisitively, then took a large bite. He mulled it over for a moment, but no sweet taste ever came. He swallowed the bite and placed it on the counter, then pulled the carton of milk from the door and took a swig. Nothing!

"What the _hell_?!" he shouted, throwing the half-full, still-open carton against the wall to his left, a burst of milk covering the counters and floor. "What's going on here?!" A bandaged right fist put a hole in the wall beside his fridge. "What did that dead lady do to me?" he asked much more calmly, his head lowering in defeat. He brought his left hand to his neck as he mused, but he stopped in his tracks when he felt an unfamiliar - but not unknown - roughness.

Scar tissue.

In a panic, he rushed to his bathroom and smacked the wall blindly until he flipped the lightswitch. He ran close to the mirror over his sink and lifted his head, examining the place where he'd been bitten.

Two puncture wounds, about an inch apart, scarred over.

Naruto _never_ scarred.

Kurama made sure of that.

"Why hasn't it healed?" he asked no one in particular, but luckily, he wasn't alone.

 **"It won't heal until you're cured, Naruto.** **"** The deep, grumbling voice boomed from within him. The great beast stirred as if he'd been napping, stretching his forelimbs in a cat-like manner.

"Kurama?" Naruto asked, now face-to-face with his nine-tailed tenant. "Where have you been?"

**"The attack put me to sleep. It's just as much a shock to me as you."**

"Do you know what she did?"

He emitted a low, affirming growl. **"** **It's something I haven't witnessed in centuries. That was a vampire."**

Naruto went limp dramatically. "A _vampire_? Like, the stories about creepy old dudes in castles that wear cloaks and turn into bats? _That_ kind of vampire?"

**"It's no story, brat. Vampires have existed for millenia, they're older than chakra. Nobody's seen one in ages, though. There was a rumor they'd all been wiped out, unable to compete for food in a world of ninja."**

"I dunno, that lady was _crazy_ strong, and fast, too," Naruto said with a finger to his chin. "Even faster than me."

**"That… _woman_ used the gifts of both vampirism _and_ ninshu. From what I know, most vampires weren't too keen on the idea."**

The blond looked down at his feet, his left hand rubbing the scars on his neck. "What's happening to me, Kurama?"

The large fox looked at his former-jailer-turned-friend, noting the scared expression on the boy's face. He couldn't remember the last time he saw Naruto scared.

**"You survived what should have been a fatal bite from a vampire. You're likely metamorphosing."**

Naruto's eyes shot wide as he locked gazes with the giant canid. "Y-... you mean I'm becoming one of those things?" He asked breathlessly.

Kurama gave him a solemn, closed-eyed nod.

Naruto's eyes widened further as his legs began to tremble. He felt the sweat beading on his forehead and chest, and his palms turned clammy. He gripped his neck hard, gritting his teeth.

"No." His right fist clenched, turning his knuckles white. "No, that won't happen. It can't." He turned to leave.

 **"Naruto,** **"** Kurama started, but held his tongue when the young ninja turned an angry, tearful glare at him.

"I'm gonna fix this, I don't care if I have to find that woman again."

**"I've told you everything I know, Naruto. The laws of the supernatural exist outside of the laws of chakra."**

"That's fine." He turned back toward the exit, continuing on his way out of his own mindscape. "I'll tear that whole cult down brick-by-brick until I figure it out myself."

* * *

Naruto threw on a dark grey t-shirt and some ordinary slip-on sandals and headed for his front door. He needed to speak to Kakashi-sensei as soon as possible, but he had to avoid being seen by anyone else.

He grabbed the handle to his front door and pulled it open, stopping just short of colliding with Sakura, her hand raised in a knocking motion.

"N-Naruto!" she stuttered, a blush creeping onto her cheeks from the sudden closeness.

"Sakura?" Naruto asked, his panic suddenly rising. "What are you doing here?"

Sakura's blush vanished as an annoyed expression dawned on her face. "What the hell do you mean, 'what am I doing here'?" she asked angrily. "You ditched the hospital without checking out! Everyone is worried sick about you!"

"Oh," he said almost whimsically. His attention had pulled itself to Sakura's neck, and he was all but ignoring her. "Sorry about that, Sakura. I just wanted to sleep in my own bed, ya'know?"

Sakura's original mask of concern reappeared. "Naruto, what's going on with you? Is there something you're not telling me?"

Naruto's gaze followed the lines of her neck over her shoulder, then down her arm. The bag in her hand distracted him from his trance. "What's that?"

She looked at the bag, then back at him, aggravation consuming her once again. "It's the stuff you left at the hospital, dummy. It was at the front desk for you when you checked out, which you _never did_."

"Oh yeah, sorry about that," he said with a chuckle. "Just wanted to get home and eat some ramen, it had been a while."

She raised a pink eyebrow. "I thought you wanted to sleep in your own bed?"

He let out another nervous chuckle. "Yeah, but I couldn't sleep on an empty stomach, ya'know?"

"Naruto…" she placed both hands on the handle of the bag nervously. "What's going on? It feels like you're keeping something from me, you never do that."

Naruto's mask slipped, the corners of his mouth falling. "I'm just tired, Sakura. I think I just need more sleep."

"But you were just about to leave…"

Naruto's gaze had once again fallen on her neck, and he could feel his world turning fuzzy.

_Ba-dum_

'Fuck.'

"Sakura, I really need to go, can we talk later?"

_Ba-dum_

"No, Naruto, please tell me what's going on. I'm worried about you."

_Ba-dum_

"I'm fine, I swear, please, can we please talk about this another time?"

_Ba-dum_

"Why are you lying to me?" she almost exclaimed, catching herself as not to alert Naruto's neighbors. "You're keeping something important from me, Naruto. We're a team, I can't help you if you lie to me!"

_Ba-dum_

"Sakura, I-," but just as he began to speak, his words left him. The whites of his eyes turned blood-red as they made contact with Sakura's green irises. When they did, her eyes went wide and she dropped the bag. She was frozen, her mind completely blank, unable to move or speak.

Naruto took another step toward her, hardly in control of himself. She would've retreated if she could, but she had no say in her actions. He took another step, his mouth hanging open, and his canines extended substantially, coming to needle-like points. He took his final step, ignoring Sakura's blank expression, and with his left hand, he reached around the back of her head, pulling her hair from her left side out of the way, and leaning down to sink his fangs deep into her exposed flesh. She made no sound at the pain, as if she couldn't feel it at all.

The initial taste of Sakura's blood flowing onto his tongue was indescribable. It was the single most pleasurable feeling he'd ever experienced, greater than every bowl of ramen he'd ever eaten. It was like he'd been starving for the very feeling since the day he was born, and he finally, after almost nineteen long years, was given the one thing his body craved.

After several seconds of quenching a thirst somehow both new and ancient, Naruto gained a control over his body he hadn't owned since he was attacked in that cave. Realizing what he was doing, he quickly detached himself from his friend and threw himself against the wall next to his door.

"Sakura, I am _so_ fucking sorry, I have no idea what came-," but suddenly, Naruto fell silent, as he noticed Sakura hadn't moved at all since he'd made eye contact with her. Her facial expression remained unchanged, both arms lay at her side as she stood there, blood still flowing from the wound in her neck, as if she were awaiting an order.

"Sakura," he said more sternly, waving a hand in front of her face, "Sakura, answer me, are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she said suddenly in an almost sleepy monotone, her face and body language still unchanged.

"Uh, you sure?"

"Yes."

He straightened himself and looked deeply into her eyes. After a few seconds, as if a switch was flipped, Sakura's eyes rolled into the back of her head and closed, her entire body going limp.

"Sakura!" he yelled, catching her before she hit the ground. "Come on, come on, wake up!" He caressed her face, lightly tapping her cheek in an attempt to wake her. She'd turned somewhat pale, but he could tell she was breathing, and her body wasn't reacting the way he did when he was attacked. He felt a warmth on his chin, wiping at it and pulling back two bloody fingers.

"What did I do?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one down in less than 24 hours, though I don't think I can make a habit of it. Let me know what you think!


	3. Hot Ramen

She walked through the mouth of the forest into a wide-spanning field. A hill lay about three hundred meters before her, on which stood several dozen cloaked figures. She smirked, placing a hand on her hip.

"A buffet."

She started toward them, throwing her voluminous hair back over her shoulder. Her dress snagged on weeds as she walked, her long nails tapping on her waist with every step. The person closest to her, a spokesman of some sort, she assumed, stepped forward, connecting his hands and bowing slightly.

"Mistress!" he bellowed through a large smile. "We've been waiting for y-"

His greeting was put down as the woman appeared before him in a flash and took him by the throat in her right hand, lifting him until only his toes touched the grass.

"I don't care," she said in a low, sultry voice, the corner of her mouth turned slightly upward. "Your shit-eating grin creeps me out." She pulled him close and ripped into his throat with her teeth, causing him to scream in pain. The bite was anything but clean, something savage and cruel, and she drained him of every ounce of blood in meer seconds, turning his shouts into gurgles as he died.

She removed her teeth, licking her lips and dropping her meal. "You taste weak." The remaining cultists lowered to a knee, seemingly unsurprised at the events playing out before them. "So I still have a following, hm?"

"My lady," a woman close to her said respectfully, "we are the Order of Blood, and we live to serve you."

The powerful vampiress placed both hands on her hips, chuckling softly. "I am Vidalia. How long have I slept?"

The same woman stood, her head lowered in reverence. "You've been resting for at least one hundred years. The exact time isn't known to our current generation of speakers."

"Hm." Vidalia lifted her hand to her face, licking some of the first man's blood from her forefinger. "Approach me, child." The woman looked surprised, but obeyed. The ancient creature put a finger under the girl's chin, lifting her head to look into her eyes. "What is your name, little one?"

The woman smiled, removing her hood to reveal a pale face framed by jet black curls that reached her jaw. Her wide grin, coupled with her large, black eyes, brightened her expression greatly. "My name is Keiko, your majesty."

"Hm. Keiko. What a pretty name." Vidalia caressed the girl's cheek with one hand, her other stroking her hair. "You will be my right hand, Keiko."

The short blond's eyes widened. "It would be an honor, my lady."

"Of course," Vidalia said, releasing her and turning to the remaining cultists. "You all report to Keiko now. Any objections?" When no one spoke up, she smiled. "Smart."

Vidalia walked through the group, the sea of robed cultists parting as she approached. Without turning to face them, she spoke in a commanding voice. "We'll establish a base in this land, and plan our next step from there. Follow." As she continued in the same general direction, the mob began to reform behind her, reminiscent of an army.

'I'm so excited to see what's become of this quaint little world whilst I've been away.'

* * *

Naruto placed a cool towel on Sakura's forehead as she slept on his futon, brushing her hair aside so it didn't get wet. He pulled another towel from his lap and began cleaning the blood from her neck and shoulder, dabbing lightly to avoid aggravating the wound.

"Hm?" He leaned a bit closer, his eyes widening. "What the hell? Where are the teeth marks?"

**"That's what I tried to tell you before you ran off, brat."**

"Kurama?" Naruto stood, both hands on his hips. "You said you told me all you knew!"

**"I was tired, and you were annoying me."**

"Kurama! This is serious! I need to know everything, right now!"

The giant fox grumbled. **"Yeah, yeah. Don't get your whiskers bunched."** He rested a cheek in his mighty paw. **"The bite of the vampire is venomous, but it isn't biological. It's magical."**

Naruto's face twisted in confusion. "What the heck does that mean?"

 **"I'm telling you, if you'd shut up and listen!"** the ancient beast roared, settling back into his relaxed position. **"You were struck with what's known as the 'Death Bite'. Once completed, there is no chance for survival. The only reason you're alive is because of me, but even I couldn't save you completely. Keeping you alive infected me with the venom and put me to sleep, and the flesh where you were bitten is technically dead, which is why it won't heal."**

Naruto rubbed his neck absentmindedly. "So what about Sakura?"

 **"What you did to her was different. You put her in a trance, commonly called the ' _Vampire's Kiss_ '."** His eye-roll as he said it was nearly audible. **"You numbed her senses and fed from her using a venomless bite. I healed her with my chakra just before you removed your teeth."**

"So why am I changing?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.

**"Surviving the Death Bite is the only way new vampires are created. I figured it was a better option than dying."**

Naruto's face fell as he tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. "Thank you, Kurama. I have a chance now, because of you."

The fox gave a small smile, closing his eyes once again. Naruto sat on the floor beside the couch, lifting Sakura's hanging hand and holding it in his for a moment before placing it on her stomach.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura." He leaned back and rested on his hands, his head lolling backward and his eyes closing as he took in a deep breath. "I promise, I won't ever let anything happen to you."

As if she could hear him, Sakura moaned softly in her sleep. "Naruto…"

The aforementioned blond snapped his head forward and shot to his knees, attentively watching his unconscious teammate for any sign of waking.

"Naruto," she whimpered again, as her eyes very slowly, very slightly fluttered open. She stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before turning her head to see her bewhiskered comrade seated close to her. Her eyes shot wide as she pushed herself to the back of the couch. "Naruto!"

"Sakura!" he responded, reaching out to her before catching himself and sheepishly returning his hands to his lap. "How are you feeling?"

She continued to stare for a moment, blinking the sleep from her eyes. "What happened?"

Naruto dawned a confused expression. Sakura thought it almost looked… _guilty_. "What do you mean? You don't remember?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Remember? Remember what? What am I doing here, Naruto?"

The pajamaed teen could practically feel the heat from the lightbulb twisting into place above his head. 'She doesn't remember?'

**"The 'Kiss' of the Vampire is basically mind control, Naruto. If you didn't want her to remember, she won't."**

Naruto's forehead furrowed and wrinkled. 'I don't like these new abilities.' He noticed his face was probably putting the confused girl off, so he made it softer. "Uh… you came by to drop my gear off and fainted at my door," he stammered, building his lie on the spot. "I carried you to the couch to rest for a bit."

She just looked more confused. "I… _fainted_? That seems really weird."

"I don't know what to tell ya," he said with a chuckle and a head scratch. "I'm just glad you're ok."

His concern gave her a blush, but it deepened drastically when it finally dawned on her that she'd been sleeping in Naruto's apartment. " _Uh_ … Naruto, I think I have to go."

He looked confused for a moment, before regaining a bit of his smile. "Oh, yeah, for sure! Come on, I'll walk you out." He stood and held his hand out to her, offering to help her up. She hesitated before taking it gently. He pulled her to her feet with slightly more force than necessary, and she bumped into his chest with her arms held in front of her. The closeness of their faces made her face heat up further, and she turned slightly to avoid his gaze.

"Sorry about that," he said through a grin. They walked across the room and Naruto opened the door for her, moving aside so she could pass. She walked out onto the balcony that led to the stairwell, then turned back to him.

"Thank you, Naruto," she said softly, looking past him more than at him. "For taking care of me, I mean. I appreciate it."

He almost looked genuinely shocked. "Of course, Sakura! I can't even count how many times you've done the same for me. I'd be dead a hundred times over, for sure!"

She looked into his eyes, smiling. "You're my teammate, Naruto." She shook her head slightly. "You're my _friend_. You don't need to thank me."

He stepped forward, placing a rough palm on her head as if she were a young student or fan. "The same goes for you," he said, his bright smile beaming at her. Her blush practically covered her face at this point. He removed his hand from her head, placing it on his hip. She smiled warmly.

"I'll see you later, Naruto. Thanks again." With this, she turned and made her way to the stairs, leaving him to watch as she left. When her pink hair disappeared down the staircase, he returned to his apartment, closing the door behind him.

Naruto went to his room, removing his shirt on the way and discarding it on the floor. He mussed his hair with both hands, shaking the tension he'd been harboring in every follicle. "Damnit, I'm beat." He collapsed onto his bed, burying his face into the pillows in an attempt to hasten sleep.

**"You won't be able to sleep yet, Naruto."**

The blue-eyed ninja groaned. "And why's that, Kurama?"

**"You're becoming a _vampire_ , you dolt. Vampires are nocturnal. Your circadian rhythm has been altered aggressively."**

"Vampires aren't morning people, got it," he responded sarcastically.

**"You've still got six hours to kill until you'll most benefit from sleep. I'd work with the changes if I were you. It will make the process of curing yourself less bothersome."**

"Great," he quipped again, rolling out of bed to his feet. "What the hell am I gonna do for _six hours_? At _night_?"

**"Skinny dipping."**

The six whisker marks on his cheeks were tinged a bright red. "Funny," he deadpanned, picking his grey t-shirt off the floor and pulling it back over his head. "I'll just go for a walk."

Naruto walked out his front door and locked it behind him, making his way to the street below.

* * *

He stood beneath the tree outside the academy, his hand grasping the rope holding up the swing on which he sat for hours in his youth. He looked back on the years of loneliness he endured before becoming a ninja, the countless nights he spent either training or sitting alone in his apartment. The masses who scolded him, ridiculed him, hated him for something he didn't even know about.

But this place didn't hurt him the way it used to.

Now, it reminded him of what he'd overcome. The friends he'd made since that dark time. The people he'd sworn to protect, even if they were among those who'd harmed him when he was young. He was a ninja now, one of the strongest, and likely the next Hokage.

Or was he?

Suddenly, all the progress he'd made, all the obstacles he'd hurdled, the future that he'd created for himself, it all felt so in doubt. He found himself thinking about how those same people who hated him for being a jinchūriki might see him now that he actually _was_ a monster. Was he going to find a cure? More importantly, was he even going to survive this terrible new affliction? How was he supposed to find that woman, let alone defeat her?

His musings had distracted him from the fact that he'd begun walking again, until a voice broke through his psyche.

"Hey, Naruto! How's it going?"

The troubled blond shook his dark thoughts from his head and turned to see Teuchi leaning through the banner from inside his now-famous ramen shop, Ichiraku. The store largely had Naruto to thank for its celebrity.

"O-oh, hey there, old man. What are you doing out this late? You guys aren't open now, are you?"

"Oh, you know me, Naruto," he laughed, "always prepared for any midnight cravings you might have, haha! Come on in! I'll make a bowl for you!"

Naruto's eyes lowered. "I think I'll pass for tonight, I'm not really hungry."

"Nonsense!" the elderly chef dismissed him, already turning into his shop to make the food. "It's on the house, sit down and relax a little."

Realizing 'no' wouldn't be accepted, Naruto sighed and relented, pushing the banner aside and taking a seat at the familiar bar. He rested his chin into a palm, his eyes downcast.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" Teuchi asked as he masterfully stirred the broth. "You seem pretty down, anything I can help you with?"

"I don't think so, old man. It's definitely something I've gotta deal with on my own."

"And how does that usually go for you, kid?" he said inquisitively. He turned and placed a bowl of miso ramen with extra fish cake in front of the downtrodden boy. "At any rate, eating something will help."

"I dunno about that this time, Teuchi." Naruto broke a pair of chopsticks, preparing for the disappointment of being unable to taste his favorite food with a series of deep breaths. He pulled a small amount of noodles from the broth and stared at them sadly, waiting for them to cool. Opening his mouth slowly, he placed the stringy food onto his tongue.

' _Holy shit_!'

The taste! He could _taste_ the ramen! The salty pork flavor was _there_! Naruto began to devour the bowl with vigor, swallowing entire mouthfuls without chewing and shoveling the next into his maw before the last was even gone. He had to put real effort into holding back tears as he tossed back the broth, then slammed the empty bowl onto the counter and wiped his face with his forearm.

"Well if you change your mind," Teuchi started, stirring another batch in his pot, "let me know. Even if it's just another bowl of ram-," his thought trailed off as he turned to see Naruto's beaming expression.

"Believe me, old man," Naruto said through his bright smile as he stood, "you've done more than you know. I'll see ya later, tell Ayame 'hi' for me!" Before the ramen cook could respond, Naruto had bolted from the shop, jogging in the direction of his home with his mood vastly improved.

'I have no idea what just happened, but I'm not complaining!' Naruto thought to himself. A familiar presence stirred within him.

 **"The negative effects of vampirism are lessened the better-sated your thirst is,"** Kurama grumbled. **"The longer you go without blood, the worse you'll fare."**

Naruto slowed to a walk, placing his hands behind his head. "What are those, anyway?"

**"The ones I know of are things like pleasure, which includes the ability to taste, as well as your sensitivity to sunlight, and your handle on your bloodlust. The more well-fed you are, the least likely you are to lose control and do what you did to Sakura."**

Naruto cringed once again at the memory. "Well, that's good to know." He continued toward his apartment, humming at the thought of his full belly, and the faint aftertaste of fish cake and scallion on his tongue.

* * *

Vidalia stood atop the tallest tree she could find in the forest, her gaze cast on the village in the distance. She was clad in a shimmering blue blouse with sleeves far too long for her arms, and white pants stopping halfway up her calf. The blouse was gathered at her waist, tied tight with a white rope. Black shinobi sandals adorned her feet.

Keiko stood at the base of the tree, another four cultists under her command. The ancient kunoichi pulled up her sleeve and slid a nail beneath the tie holding her hair back, cutting it. Her mass of curly, black hair exploded into a glorious mane, a never-ending afro that made her look like a second, dark moon in the sky.

"He's here," she cooed to herself. Stepping forward, she dropped from the branch, her eyes closing as her body accelerated. When she was a few feet from the ground, some invisible force slowed her descent and she landed like a feather. "Come." Vidalia began her march toward the Hidden Leaf Village, her subordinates in tow.

'I will have him again.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Three is a go! Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think in the comments! I have lots of ideas for this story, I'd like to know how any readers are feeling about the way I've started things to guage what kind of story you'd all like to see play out! Thank you for reading!


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